Fighting the Darkness
by Sovereign of Mischief
Summary: Set after the manga, so *Manga Spoilers* After Kagome returns to the feudal era and is finally starting to settle into her new life, there's a strange occurance at the well.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hello all, and thank you for taking a look at this little fan fiction.**

**I want to point out that this is not my first fanfiction nor is it my first time posting this particular one. This is a rewrite of the story I posted on MediaMiner under the name "animelover23". So no, I'm not stealing another writer's work, since this work is my own.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I am not affiliated with Viz, Sunrise, or Shonen Sunday, and I do not gain any monetary value by posting this piece of fiction.**

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**Prologue**

The night was quiet; too quiet for a hanyou's liking. Sitting on the roof the headman's hut, his black hair blew in the wind. His golden eyes glowed eerily in the moonlight as they shifted to investigate the smallest noise that reached his canine ears. He let out an agitated sigh as the said ears twitched, picking up the movements of the girl below and her near endless pacing.

She was human tonight, so his instincts to protect her were on overdrive. Its not that he didn't question his headman's ability to protect his own daughter, he just had to be with her; to know she was safe.

The girl looked up at the moon again and scowled. Every month it was the same; the first quarter moon would rise and she'd lose her youkai abilities for one night. Sure she had a whole village there to protect her, but that still didn't mean she'd settle down and pretend everything was just fine and peachy! Give her a battle against a powerful taiyoukai any day; she would enjoy it far better than being human. This sucked!

"Michiko, you're going to form a rut in the ground if you keep doing that," her mother warned as she slipped out their hut, grabbbing a few herbs from her garden for the dinner she was preparing.

Michiko paused and clenched her fists, "I'll stop as soon as Otou-san gets back."

"Keep in mind, he may not be home by tonight," her mother reminded her sadly as she walked over to her daughter.

"He's always been here on my human nights," the young woman stomped up to her mother, her voice slowly rising, "and he promised to be here for this one! He always keeps his word to me. I-" A warning glare from her mother stopped the girl short.

"I understand that it's your human night," the older woman said calmly, "but that doesn't mean you can act like a spoiled child. Have you forgotten that there's a war going on?"

"But he promised!" the young woman pouted as she crossed her arms across her chest.

"What are you, five? Michiko, sometimes you're so much like your papa it's scary," her mother sighed, "and personally, I think one of him is enough."

"If she starts falling trees, can I knock her out?" Tamotsu offered as her jumped off of the roof, feeling more confident now that Michiko's mother had calmed down.

Michiko snorted, "Have you forgotten what tonight is?" She held a clawless hand for emphasis.

"How could I forget with your whining? You do a good job of it too, even without your youkai blood." He ducked as the predicted fist flew over his head and then tackled her to the ground, being less rough than usual because of her current state. The two rolled on the ground, play fighting like two rambunctious puppies would.

"Give it a rest you two!" the sharp tone of the girl's mother caused the two adolescents to pause in their mock fight and pull away from each other. "Go wash up, dinner with be ready soon,"

The human rolled her violet eyes as she stood up and made her way towards the river, Tamotsu at her heels. "Yo, wait up!"

"What?" she scowled at him.

"Your father would kill me if I let you walk in the woods alone tonight. Besides, who knows what's out here?" The hanyou pushed her along the forest path to the river.

_He's so cute when he's in protective mode. _Michiko blushed at the thought and shook her head, _Damn human emotions!_

The wind changed direction, carrying a fowl scent with it, not that she could tell, but Tamotsu's warning growl caused her to stop dead in her tracks. The human instinctively stretched out her senses, and scowled when she was reminded of how dulled they were at the moment. Looking around, she saw several shadows move in the underbrush nearby, causing her to step closer to the hanyou at her back.

"What's goin' on?" one ear twitched; his signal to her saying he had heard her, but was still keeping his full attention to the dark shadows of the forest. Michiko watched as his eyes moved across the surrounding area. His growl escalated.

"Something's out there... we should head back." He grabbed her hand and started to lead her back to the village, but the girl didn't budge, "Michiko?"

Her head felt light and her eyelids suddenly were very heavy. The forest swam in front of her, the different shades of green blending together into one big blur. Her heartbeat was pounding in her ears as she reluctantly let go of consciousness. In the distance, she heard the muffled yell of her hanyou companion.

**A/N: Please review to tell me what you thought.**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: I figured I'd post this with the prologue. I didn't think anyone would mind.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. ****I am not affiliated with Viz, Sunrise, or Shonen Sunday, and I do not gain any monetary value by posting this piece of fiction.**

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**Chapter One**

The night seemed like another peaceful one. It was still early spring; and although most of the snow had melted, the land was still coated in frost at night. In a familiar village, the former members of the Inu-tachi were preparing to leave Kaede's hut after commemorating the one month anniversary of Kagome's return. Said miko was standing just outside the old miko's hut, waving goodnight to Miroku and Sango who were returning to their own hut, carrying their sleeping children. Kagome still had a difficult time grasping the concept that her best friend was now married and had three children. It's not that she doubted Miroku was a good husband, or that the couple wouldn't make good parents; it was merely the fact that the former slayer was two years older than her. Thinking about being in the same boat as Sango within the next year put an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach that was neither pleasant nor unsettling.

Inuyasha came out of the hut and saw a familiar gleam in Kagome's eyes as she watched their friends enter their home. It was a wish he was all but happy to grant her, when the time was right. Their hut was still being built, and wouldn't be completed for some time yet. Considering how he had just proposed to her the week before, and that Miroku dragged him along for every exorcism, the structure was coming along pretty well. While it was still under construction, Kagome was staying in Kaede's hut, along with Rin.

The hanyou placed a gentle hand on the miko's shoulder, "It's cold out here; you'd better get inside."

Kagome turned and gave Inuyasha a warm smile, "All right, but what about you?"

"Keh, it takes a lot more than this little chill to bring me down," his cocky smirk vanished and his ears sunk down into his hair as the wind started to pick up, "Do you think Kaede would mind?"

The miko giggled as she led her hanyou back into the warm hut. Kaede agreed to let Inuyasha stay, and offered him one of her spare blankets. He refused it, somewhat politely, and took to his usual position; sitting against the wall close to Kagome, legs crossed, and Tessaiga propped against his shoulder. The other occupants of the hut settled and soon drifted off to sleep. Rin, along with Shippo were tucked away in a corner of the hut.

The girl was still in Kaede's care, though he could tell it wouldn't be for much longer. It was obvious that she missed Sesshomaru; she asked about him almost every day.

Shippo rolled over and mumbled softly. The kitsune was only here temporarily, and would return to his training the next day. But now that Kagome was back, he stopped by the village more often and tended not to travel as far. The hanyou couldn't blame the kit; it was hard to stay away from the miko for long.

Inuyasha closed his eyes and sighed. Kagome had been the one to show him that he didn't have to be alone; and then was ripped away from him for three years. They had felt like a dark eternity to him without her there. He had lost hope a few times, but his friends had always knocked the sense back into him. Kagome _would_ come back, and she did.

His thoughts were beginning to wander elsewhere when the young miko started to stir next to him. She slowly sat up and stretched before looking around the hut with sleepy eyes.

Through a yawn, she asked, "What time is it?"

The hanyou sighed, "Dawn is still far off; go back to sleep." Kagome nodded sluggishly before snuggling back under her blankets. The next few minutes passed with an unusual silence. Inuyasha strained his senses to pick up a noise in the forest, but couldn't. Then he felt it; an overpowering jyaki nearby, way too close for comfort. From the way Kagome jolted up and reached for her bow, he knew she felt it to.

The two looked at each other and nodded before Inuyasha silently picked her up and carried her outside. As he set her down so she could climb onto his back, Miroku ran up to them; his sleeping yukata askew and his hair sticking up oddly.

"You felt it too?" the monk asked as he paused to catch his breath. Kagome nodded as she slung her quiver over her shoulder.

"I don't like how close to the village it is," the miko climbed onto Inuyasha, her brow furrowed in confusion, "It almost feels like…"

"Like Naraku," the hanyou finished for her before heading towards the tree line. Miroku followed them closely, the rings on his staff jingling with every stride. Each of them wore a solemn expression; if Naraku had come back, what could they do?

"Inuyasha, wait," Miroku called out. The hanyou stopped in his tracks and looked back at the monk, who was staring at the forest in front of them, his eyes wide with shock. He felt Kagome stiffen on his back.

"What is that?" came the miko's quiet voice, causing him to turn to look at what caused Miroku's and Kagome's scents to become saturated with fear. A twitching ear was the only sign that the sight put him on edge. Above the towering trees in front of them was the peak of a curved black mass.

"It looks like it's near the well clearing," stated the monk as he caught up to the couple. Inuyasha grunted and they continued cautiously into the forest until they came into the small meadow where the well rested.

"'Looks more like it's in the clearing to me," the hanyou corrected indifferently as the trio stepped carefully into the edge of the field. Before them was a large, opaque black dome that almost engulfed the entire clearing, leaving about a meter's span between it and the forest.

Kagome stared at it for a few moments, "I don't think its Naraku; the jyaki feels similar, but something's off about it."

Her two companions looked over at her in confusion as five dark tendrils emerged from the dome's shell. The group stared in shock for the barest of seconds before jumping away as the sharp ends of the tendrils dove towards them. As Miroku retreated back into the tree line to steal a few seconds to retrieve his ofunda, Inuyasha scaled the nearest tree to give Kagome a better vantage point. As the hanyou leapt into the air, the miko on his back steadied her bow and arrow, aiming at the heart of the structure in front of them before letting the projectile fly.

The bright light emanating from the arrow lit up the clearing as it sliced through the dark dome. A loud shriek was heard as the mass was ripped in half, the remains surging back into the depths of the ancient well. As the last of it passed through the well's lips, the wooden structure was enveloped in a black flame.

Inuyasha landed nearby, both he and Kagome looking at the destruction the dome had left behind. Besides the burning well, the grass that once covered the clearing was charred down to the soil, leaving barren ground behind. The miko looked at the blazing well with apprehension. The flames that licked at the wood did not consume it as a natural fire would. Miroku joined them, critically accessing the flame before throwing a ofunda at it. On contact, the scroll sent electric sparks out before turning to ash.

The monk paled, "I'm having a bad premonition." Kagome nodded in agreement. A part of her mind screamed at her to get away from the well, as far as she could get. But another part of her wanted to stay with the only connection she had left with her family in the future.

"What should we do with these two, Inuyasha?"

She snapped out of her thoughts at Miroku's words and when she saw Inuyasha step toward two unmoving figures on the dead field. She berated herself for not noticing them before while she caught up in her own worries. Slowly, Kagome followed the hanyou up to them, not waiting for him to give her a signal that they were safe to approach. She may not have any youkai-enhanced senses, but she knew blood when she smelled it.

"Kagome, are you crazy?!" the hanyou sputtered as he reached for her to pull her back. She shot him a warning look before kneeling next to the one who looked worse for wear. Both were unconscious, bloody, and burned in some areas. Looking the pair over, Kagome realized that one was human, and the other hanyou; a young woman and a man respectively. The miko tenderly touched the skin around a particularly deep gash on the girl and mentally winced. It spanned diagonally across her abdomen, exposing one of her ribs before it extended down to her left hip.

"Inuyasha, we need to get her back to Kaede's," the looks she gave him let no room for argument. The miko knew the hanyou could feel no malice on either of the unconscious pair's aura, and the girl needed that wound treated before an infection set in. He grunted before coming next to her and picking up the injured woman carefully. Kagome smiled appreciatively at him, causing Inuyasha to scowl in an attempt to hide his light blush.

Rolling up the sleeves of her hitoe, the miko looked pointedly at Miroku, "Inuyasha's hands are full with the girl, so this guy is ours." The monk sighed before reluctantly helping the miko pick up the hanyou and follow Inuyasha back to the village.

"I really do miss Kirara."

**A/N: I can't promise an ETA for chapter two, since I'm getting ready for college next year, and my workload tends to change weekly. But in any case, please review to tell me what you think. :D**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: It took me two days to notice the author's note in the prologue said "This is not my fanfiction" as opposed to "This is not my **_**first**_** fanfiction". Just a little bit of a difference there…**

**Anyway, thanks for all of the rev-…wait, never mind. Well, in any case, enjoy the chapter.**

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**Chapter Two**

Rin yawned and sleepily rubbed her eyes as she exited the warm hut, "Where are we going, Houshi-sama?" After the monk had helped Kagome lay the unconscious hanyou on Kaede's floor and explain to the older miko what had happened, the young miko had asked him to take Rin and Shippou to his hut for the remainder of the night. She didn't want either of the children to wake up and distract her, or to be disturbed by the gruesome sight. Inuyasha had volunteered to go with Miroku to get one of Sango's old kimono for the girl to borrow. His nose was already beginning to itch from the overpowering scent of blood and the herbal medicine the miko were using.

Kagome quickly got to work on the unconscious girl's wounds as soon as the reed mat flapped back into place over the doorway. With Kaede's help, she was able to remove the girl's torn and bloodied yukata without adding any further damage to the injured body. As she began to apply an herbal salve to the nasty gash across the girl's abdomen, she was pleased to find that whatever had attacked the pair hadn't cut deep enough to harm any internal organs. Kagome panicked when she noticed a hairline crack on the exposed rib, and asked the older miko for help bandaging it. While there wasn't much doctors could do in the future about rib fractures, they could prescribe medication to fight off any infections. The most she could hope to provide for the girl was to keep her other injuries clean, and maybe some opium for the pain she was sure to experience.

After helping Kagome with the fractured rib, Kaede went back to bandaging up the girl's arms and legs. The appendages were scorched in spots, and were completely covered in small shallow cuts that overlapped each other, making it hard to determine where one started and another ended.

The young miko finished her work on the large gash and sat back to rest for a few moments. She finally took the time to look over the girl. She looked younger than Kagome, and it seemed that her hair would be a flowing cascade of onyx once it was cleaned and brushed out. Her skin was a pasty, unnaturally looking yellow hue from the blood loss, but the miko imagined it would be a sun-kissed tan once the girl had regained her strength.

Walking over to one of Kaede's larger jars, she used a wooden ladle to take a fast drink of water before starting her work on the unconscious hanyou. His arms were in a similar state as the girl's and were bandaged up in no time. Looking the rest of him over, Kagome found nothing that could keep a hanyou out cold for this long.

Kaede finished and shifted over to the side of her fire pit, wiping the sweat from her brow. The younger miko joined her and handed her the wooden ladle filled with water, and then helped the elder miko stroke the fire back to life.

"My body isn't resilient as it once was," the old miko chuckled knowingly, "I am glad you came back to us, Kagome, so that now I have a successor."

Kagome nodded, "But do you think I'll learn enough in time? I don't want to let the village down." She had been under Kaede's full instruction for less than a month, and didn't feel like she was even close at being as good as the old miko. Yes, she had taken care of their group while they were hunting down Naraku, but she had used medicine from her time to do so. Without that crutch, the young miko wasn't sure if she could handle the position. Then there was her upcoming wedding. Most miko we asked to resign their position once wed, but Kaede, along with the rest of the village wanted her to remain in her position.

"Child," Kaede placed her hand on Kagome's reassuringly, "even when you are bonded to Inuyasha, you will still be a very powerful miko." The old miko looked at the younger with wise eyes, "I can see a many great deeds that lie in your future path."

Kagome blushed at the words. Hadn't she already done enough? She traveled through time to break and help rebuild a sacred gem, took down what might have been the most benevolent being in the history of the planet, and purified said gem to prevent another Naraku from happening. The young miko thought that was enough for one lifetime, but apparently the kami had other plans.

There was a knock on the doorframe before Miroku called in, "Kagome-sama?" She got up to answer him, stepping out into the pre-dawn air. The monk had changed into his usual purple robes and was carrying a heavily worn blue kimono and a brown wrap skirt.

"Thank you, Miroku-sama. You guys can come in when we get her dressed." Kagome bowed her head before going back inside. She and Kaede had the girl decent in minutes, though the kimono looked big on her slim frame. The young miko called the two men inside, who then settled themselves around the fire.

"I cannot stay long," Miroku said tiredly, "the twins and Genji will be waking up soon, and Sango already has her hands full with Rin and Shippou." Kagome nodded in understanding. She had been somewhat surprised upon her return when she discovered that not only was the monk a loyal husband, but a devoted and loving father. Then again, maybe it shouldn't have been that much of a shock; he had focused his perversions solely on Sango after she had agreed to his marriage proposal.

"Well, we've treated every injury we could find," the young miko began. "The girl was harder hit; she has a fractured rib, and her arms and legs are pretty burned and sliced up, not to mention that slash across her stomach. The rib will take time to mend, but her other injuries won't take too long to heal. We also need to worry about a chest infection with her."

Miroku grimaced and the miko saw his lips moving in a silent prayer to Buddha. They would need to wait a few days for the girl's body to start its recovery. Kagome made a mental note to pray to the kami when she would tend to the shrine later that morning.

"What about him?" Inuyasha pointed his nose at the hanyou lying on the ground. The boy still hadn't moved since being brought to Kaede's hut and the fact was starting to really Kagome.

"His arms were like the girl's," Kagome said softly, looking tiredly at her fiancé "Other than that, he's fine." The hanyou grunted, understanding her gaze. He sniffed in the other hanyou's direction, trying to find any reason why the hanyou was still unconscious.

Inuyasha's eyes watered he sneezed several times. His bleary eyes cleared slightly as he looked back at her, "All I can smell is that damn medicine you use." Kagome nodded and sighed, wishing she could get some sort of answer for the hanyou's puzzling status.

"Kagome-sama, I've strengthened the barrier around the village" Miroku said as he stood up, "If that creature comes back, the village should be safe." The young miko thanked him before the monk left to return to his home. The sun now was almost over the horizon, which meant Kagome had to get to work.

Slinging her bow and quiver over her shoulder, the young miko grabbed two of Kaede's wooden buckets and headed out the door, "I'll see you later, Inuyasha." She headed down to the river to start her first chore; watering the older miko's garden. Walking through the forest path to her destination, Kagome turned around when she heard someone call out to her. A blur that was the young red-headed fox ran up to her before hugging her leg. The miko almost lost her balance from the impact, but was able to stay upright. Sometimes she still expected her little Shippou to run up to her whenever he visited instead of the preteen he was becoming. He was getting taller and his face was finally growing into his huge eyes. His tail was not as bushy as it had once been and she swore his feet were looking more human each time she saw him.

"Leaving already?" the miko asked while giving the kitsune a warm smile. Growing up or not, he still felt like a son to her.

Shippou nodded and let go of her leg, looking down at the ground, "I promised Amaya I'd meet her near the inn where our exams are held. She wanted me to help her with a few transformations." He blushed when he mentioned the vixen's name. She was a close friend of the young kitsune, and Kagome had a hunch he had a crush on her.

The miko set the buckets on the ground and hugged the kitsune tightly, "Promise to come back soon? Inuyasha and I should be wed before summer's end, and I want you to be there when we are." Shippou agreed not to take too long coming back this time and waved to his surrogate mother before setting off. Kagome sent a fast prayer to the kami that the kitsune would have a safe journey and continued her way to the river.

**-Ω-Ω-Ω-Ω-Ω-**

Kaede's bones cracked as she slowly stood up and started fussing around the hut. She got a pot of water over her fire that she would make into breakfast and started cleaning up from her and Kagome's earlier labors. Inuyasha even helped by putting away the blankets from the night before and bringing in some more fire wood, trying to cover up the kind gestures by commenting on how old she was. It gave the old miko a good laugh before she chased the hanyou out to go work on his hut, promising to send word if anything changed with either of her two patients.

As she began stirring rice into the boiling water, Rin popped her head into the hut, "Kaede-sama, can Rin come in?" Kaede nodded and the girl came in and helped the old miko prepare the meal, all the while asking questions about the couple lying on the floor. The miko answered what she could, but when the child started to persistently ask questions there were no answers to, she asked the girl to go help Kagome with her chores. Rin agreed with much enthusiasm before grabbing the old miko's last empty bucket and dashing out of the door.

As soon as the rice was done, Kaede moved the pot off the fire and set it in the ashes of the fire pit. Checking the girl and the hanyou one last time, the miko left the hut to help Kagome weed her garden. It was planted a week before Kagome's return, and the herbs were almost ready for harvesting. Outside, the young miko and Rin had finished watering the rows of herbs and were starting to pull out the weeds.

The old miko kneeled across from where Kagome was and joined her in her work, "Rin, why don't you go inside and get something to eat and keep an eye on my patients?"

"All right, Kaede-sama," the young girl got up and brushed her kimono off before darting inside.

Kagome watched her leave before turning back to Kaede, "How are they doing?"

"They're the same as before," the old miko said, "We'll need to rewrap their wounds before nightfall."

"All right," the young miko continued weeding as her mind wandered. If the couple never woke up, they would need to track down the village they came from. Who knew how far they had traveled before they were attacked. A cough from the old miko made her pause her work and thoughts, "Are you ok, Kaede?"

"Yes, child," Kaede replied, with the name she used whenever she was about to chastise or correct Kagome, "But it looks like we need to go over the lesson of weeds verses herbs, again."

Kagome looked down and blushed when she saw she had pulled out several barley sprouts, "I guess we do." She listened as the old miko went over the plant differences while she replanted the barley. Already tired, the young miko sighed thinking of the long day ahead.

**-Ω-Ω-Ω-Ω-Ω-**

The scent of cooked rice drifted into his nose, causing his stomach to growl with desire. Sighing and looking at the sun's position about a quarter of the way across the sky, Inuyasha decided it was time for a break. Wiping the sweat off his brow, the hanyou stopped working on the final wall of the hut. He would easily finish it by that afternoon, but would need the help of some village men to help raise all four walls and attach it to the frame. After that, all he needed to do was fix a few spots on the roof and the building would be finished.

Trotting to Kaede's hut, he spotted Kagome and the old miko working in her garden near the rice paddies. He nodded to them before walking through the reed mat covering the doorway. It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the dimmer light, and when they did he saw Rin determinedly watching the girl and hanyou still unconscious on the floor.

"Inuyasha-sama!" the young girl's voice chimed out, "Rin did not expect you back so soon. Would you like something to eat?"

The hanyou shrugged, "Sure." He sat near the fire pit and accepted the bowl of rice she gave him. Rin then went back to staring down the two patients.

After a few moments, Inuyasha let out an agitated sigh, "All right squirt, what are you doing?"

"Kaede-sama told me to watch them," the girl replied.

He grunted in response. The hanyou hated it when humans underestimated something that seemed harmless; they died a lot faster that way. He believed everything to be a threat unless proven otherwise. Unconscious or not, he still saw these two as a threat. Inuyasha finished his meal and set his empty bowl on one of the old miko's working tables. He had just pushed the reed mat aside to step out when Rin gasped.

"Inuyasha-sama, he moved," the young girl cried out, pointing at the other hanyou. Sure enough, the hanyou's arm had moved. It was extended upwards with his elbow slightly bent, his knuckles cracking in preparation to strike.

'_Oh shit!'_

**A/N: Again, please review. I'd like to know if people find this fan fiction is worth reading.**


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